If correctly deployed, users will be able to connect their Android devices directly to a scanner via a USB cable and run the scanner from within the app. This will enable the user to control features such as resolution, brightness, and color.

NOTE: Apps using this toolkit can scan single- or multi-page documents, and save them in PDF, JPEG, TIFF, or BMP format.

The SDK's developers insist that building USB scanning into a workflow has a number of "immediately apparent" beneficial application scenarios. "It can give mobile or home health workers in the field the ability to record and transmit signed medical forms efficiently, improving productivity and patient care."

NOTE: Developers of mobile applications that have a document workflow can use the USB Scanner SDK to get documents into the flow without having to write code to support specific scanners.

The SDK comprises code libraries, Java source code examples for reference and testing, plus access to help files for advanced applications and troubleshooting. Applications require Android 3.2 (Honeycomb) or later and a supported scanner; supported scanners are listed here.

Developers and users can see and test this technology in action by downloading a trial app version from Google Play (search for "USB scanner trial"). Users who do not see their scanner in the list of supported scanners can also use the app to try the technology with their scanner model.

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This month's Dr. Dobb's Journal

This month,
Dr. Dobb's Journal is devoted to mobile programming. We introduce you to Apple's new Swift programming language, discuss the perils of being the third-most-popular mobile platform, revisit SQLite on Android
, and much more!